1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for manufacturing light guide plates, and a method for manufacturing light guide plates using the apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
A light guide plate is typically employed in a backlight module for converting a point light source or a linear light source into area/plane light source. The light guide plate includes a number of microstructures, the microstructures may be formed on a surface or two opposite surfaces of the light guide plate. The light guide plate with the microstructures can be manufactured through an injection molding method or a printing method.
A method of manufacturing a light guide plate through printing includes following steps: providing a polyester terephthalate (PET) film as a substrate; distributing an ultraviolet (UV) curable glue layer on the PET film; providing at least a pressing roller, each of which includes a number of microstructures formed on an outer surface thereof; pressing the UV curable glue distributed on the PET film using the pressing roller to form corresponding microstructures on the UV curable glue; exposing the PET film with pressed UV curable glue to UV light to solidify the UV curable glue. However, the method of manufacturing a light guide plate must employ a PET film as a substrate, increasing a total thickness of the manufactured light guide plate. In addition, a ratio of light transmission of the PET film is about 90%, which will also limit a total ratio of light transmission of the manufactured light guide plate. Furthermore, the UV curable glue not only needs to adhere the PET film, but also needs to easily depart from the pressing roll, therefore, it is difficult to prepare the UV curable glue with a suitable viscosity coefficient.
What is needed therefore is an apparatus and method for manufacturing light guide plate addressing the limitations described.